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Title: ISOLATION OF A BETA-TUBULIN GENE FRAGMENT FROM CERCOSPORA BETICOLA.

Author
item Hill, Amy
item Gutierrez, Rebecca
item Hanson, Linda

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/2/2002
Publication Date: 4/17/2002
Citation: Hill, A.L., Gutierrez, R.M., Hanson, L.E. 2002. Isolation of a beta-tubulin gene fragment from cercospora beticola.. Meeting Abstract.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Cercospora beticola causes Cercospora Leaf Spot, one of the most widespread and destructive diseases of sugar beet. The disease decreases sugar content and reduces the ability to store sugar beets. Early disease control is necessary to minimize losses because established lesions will rapidly produce new inoculum and spread the disease. Control measures include planting disease free seed, implementing crop rotations, and spraying seedbeds and mature plants with fungicides. Fungicides commonly used to spray sugarbeets include benzimidazoles, which have been intensively used for disease control due to their effectiveness, systemic activity and economic benefits. Their extensive use as a sole fungicide class has resulted in field resistance in a number of pathogens including C. beticola. In several studies with Ascomycetes a single base-pair mutation in the beta-tubulin gene caused fungicide resistance. Among the studied fungicide-resistant laboratory and field mutants, nine common mutation sites have been found between codons 167 and 241. We extracted DNA from several benomyl-sensitive and resistant field strains of C. beticola. Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and known beta-tubulin primers ranging from codons 157 to 300, we amplified a section of DNA from these strains. The sections amplified will be sequenced and compared to known beta-tubulin sequences. This study is being conducted to isolate and characterize possible mutations in the beta-tubulin gene of C. beticola for future diagnostic applications and to provide more information about fungicide resistance in this sugar beet pathogen.